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Please help: regulate breastmilk

I breastfed my 21 month old until 17 months and had the same supply issues and he had same problems, here goes:

My newborn is 5 days old my milk came in noticably to me on day 3, my breast are now too full for her as she is not nursing long nowhere near emptying (even if i nurse from same side 2 times in a row). She only nurses 4-10 min (the fuller my breast the shorter she stays on, which makes sense because it comes out faster) as of today and she started getting gassy yesterday. She doesnt burp well but even when she does she is gassy still (affraid she is not getting much hindmilk).

I feel like the the first time and never really got it right, not sure how to fix this or make it better! Last time i tried to nurse from one side until empty (the other side would just get that much fuller and then that side would get fuller and fuller each time). I feel like i need to let them be full to register that they only need to produce a certain amount but am affraid she wont get the hindmilk she needs- but if i dont fix now then will continue to be a problem like it was for first. I do lean back when i nurse and she does nurse a little better since if i sit up it flows out too quick and she wont stay on, but this doesnt help supply.

So, what do i do to address this?
I am really stressing about this, i dont like causing her pain...

Re: Please help: regulate breastmilk

Hi! many moms here have overproduction, but yours sounds really bad! I will offer a few suggestions-

I think might be a little too early to be worrying about block feeding. (Nursing on one side through 2 or more feedings) Block feeding is a good technique for decreasing milk production, but it often takes a little time time for it to take effect-and it can even make forceful letdown worse in the meantime. Also, it is suggested that block feeding not be attempted unless it can be ascertained that baby is gaining VERY well-in other words, true hyperlactation is confirmed and also baby’s ability to nurse effectively is confirmed. This might take a couple of weeks, maybe? Everyone is different. Yes, block feeding can help with overproduction. But trying it so early when your production is just getting started might cause issues.

Instead, I suggest keep nursing leaning back as you are doing, and nurse very very very frequently. Every 30 minutes if you have to. I set an alarm at night so I would wake every 2 hours all night long in the first few weeks with my last baby due to hyperlactation, even if baby did not wake, I woke her and nursed.

If baby pulls off and there is a spray, you can let the spray ‘let down’ into a towel and then put baby back on. You could also try hand expressing to get a let down before putting baby on.

Do not worry about how long (or short) baby nurses for. Do not worry about baby 'getting' hindmilk. THIS IS NOT A MEDICAL CONCERN ALL YOUR MILK IS GOOD FOR YOUR BABY! Do not worry about 'emptying' the breasts-that increases milk production.

On the other hand, you do not want to get too full (yet) and risk mastitis. The easiest way to walk this fine line is short and FREQUENT feedings. Don’t try to switch sides each feeding, but don’t make baby stay on the same side for more than one feeding either (block feeding) -not yet. Yes you may need to do this, but try to give it a little time. If things keep getting worse despite nursing with extreme frequency, and the other criteria are met, then you can try block feeding. You can hand express as needed to relieve pressure when block feeding. There are also other things to try as well for extreme overproduction/ hyper-lactation. You may want to talk to a board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) as well.

Re: Please help: regulate breastmilk

with LLLMeg. I would also give this some time- maybe another week or two. The overproduction phase of breastfeeding is usually short, but even if it's not, you want to give your new baby a chance to get established at the breast and gaining weight really well before you tinker with your supply.

Are you using the "finish the first breast first" approach with your newborn? Instead of swapping breasts after some predetermined amount of time, you let the baby nurse as much as she wants on the first breast, and when she finishes that breast (releases it on her own), you swap her over to the other side, without worrying too much about whether or not she takes it.

Please, please don't worry about the hindmilk! All milk contains everything your baby needs to grow and thrive. A baby who gets nothing but so-called foremilk will grow and develop just fine. She may be a little gassier than average and may have green poops, but these are minor annoyances, not health problems. My second child had to deal with a crazy oversupply, and she was a frequent spitter-upper and had some pretty weird-looking diapers, but she gained weight terrifically well and developed on or ahead of schedule.

Re: Please help: regulate breastmilk

Thanks. I decided to block feed after dealing with it last time and remembering how long it took to decrease supply. Her birth weight was 7 lbs 13.6oz, then 7 9 when left hospital (maybe 40 hrs after birth) and 7 14 (6 days old) yesterday at drs so she is gaining. I just feed from same breast every 2 feedings and they are not as full but flow still chokes sometimes. I know it will take time to regulate and ill keep a look out for too low supply. I let her pull off and then burp her (or attempt!) then offer the other but i just got more and more milk. Her poops have been slimy.... Hope i regulte soon! Sorry for sp. and grammer errors- on i pad and in hurry.

Re: Please help: regulate breastmilk

She and i have way too many symptoms of an oversupply. Her poops are extremely acrid and stringy, but block feeding has helped it seems. Still chokes on flow sometimes but I recline or side lie and that seems to help, I'm no longer engorged (!) and her poops, while still acrid and snot like/slimy are not AS bad as they were... Another problem I seem to have is just too much milk at once for her to handle, I don't believe I have an forceful letdown becuase it doesn't shoot out far at all, it just is a lot at once.... That is why the reclined positions are helping use but other than that I guess she will be able to handle it better when older...

Re: Please help: regulate breastmilk

A lot of forceful letdown problems aren't about letdown speed so much as they are about the baby's ability to handle them. There are moms with average supply and average letdowns whose babies still have trouble nursing, just because they (the babies) are so young, small, weak(relatively), and lacking in the muscular coordination that comes with age.